Back to the Flags of Africa page

Where is Western Sahara?
About Western Sahara
The Land
The People
Life and Death
Health, Energy and the Environment
Education and Work
Travel, Communication and the Media

Western Sahara is an above average sized country in Africa. It is a disputed land and, therefore, we do not have full information.

Western Sahara borders the Atlantic Ocean.

The land is mostly low, flat dessert.

The geographical coordinates for the centre of Western Sahara, also known as lines of latitude and longitude, are:-
Latitude - 24 30N
Longitude - 13 00W

   Back to the top

Check the weather in Western Sahara now.

This is the time in Western Sahara now

The Western Saharan flag has three stripes of black(top), white(centre) and green with a red star and crescent in the centre stripe. A red isosceles triangle has its base on the flag pole side.

Western Sahara has no defined capital.

Western Sahara is a disputed area with no recognised form of government.

Hear the National Anthem


These are the anthem words

The words ×

These are the words to the Western Saharan National Anthem called O Sons of the Sahara. It was adopted in 1976 when the disputed independence was declared from Morocco. This is a translation of the words.

If anthem fails to play click here

O sons of the Sahara! In the battlefield, you are torch holders in the long road
Make revolution in our nation and follow this path for her sake.
Cut off the head of the invader. Cut off the head of the invader.
O revolutionaries, the homeland will be glorious. Cut off the estates in this region.
Remove in war the causes for protest and abandon it; no submission, no yielding.
No agent, no invader, no agent, no invader.
You who ask about us: we are the ones who drive the transforming struggle.
We are the ones who smash that idol, we are the ones who understand the beautiful lesson.
We are the people of the path; we are the people of the path.
We are the ones who revealed the path against the raid, the one that burns up the raiders.
It is the war to erase the oppressor and establish the right of the laborers.
We are the people of the path; We are the people of the path.
The uprising is for the people and will advance in the Arab lands.
It will produce unity forever in the hearts and will establish justice and democracy.
Every century, every generation, every century, every generation.

We have already written our own history of England but are asking schools in Western Sahara to provide us with a detailed history of their own country. Check how here.


   Back to the top

The total land area of Western Sahara is 266,000 sq kms which is the 30th largest in Africa.

Western Sahara has no lakes, rivers and canals.

Western Sahara has boundaries with 3 countries

• Mauritania 1,654 kms
• Morocco 444 kms
• Algeria 41 kms

Western Sahara has a coastline of 1,110 kms which is the 13th longest in Africa.

The highest point in Western Sahara is at 805 metres.

The pie chart below shows how the land is split between agricultural land (crops and pastures), forests and other, which can be towns, villages, desert or frozen waste called tundra.

   Back to the top

The total population of Western Sahara is 619,551 people, making it the 25th largest country in Africa by population.

Of this number 312,075 are females and 307,476 are males.

A person from Western Sahara is called Western Saharan.

We have no information on citizenship.

The largest five cities in Western Sahara, by population are:-

• Laayoune 196,331 people
• Dakhla 75,000
• Laayoune Plage 10,450
• Daoura 900
• Foum el Qued 450

For each country we will give you a diagram showing the population density. This is the average number of people for each square kilometre. Each little Owlbut is 1 person and the big yellow rectangle is 1 sq km. After a while you can compare countries and see which ones are the most crowded. Remember it is only an average as more people live closer together in towns and cities than in villages out in the country.



86.7% of the people live in cities or towns.

   Back to the top

The birth rate in Western Sahara is 28.9 births per 1,000 of population

The death rate in Western Sahara is 7.9 deaths per 1,000 people.

Check this against the birth rate. If the death rate is higher than the birth rate then the population will decrease unless immigrants arrive in the country.

There are 45.6 deaths of girls under 1 year per 1,000 of births and 55.3 deaths of boys.

The median age for females is 21.9 and for males is 21.0. The median age is that age which divides the population exactly in half so there are the same number of people above the median age as below it.

We have no figures for the average age of a woman when she has her first child.

The elderly dependency ratio is 3.7. This is the number of elderly people (ages 65+) per 100 people of working age (ages 15-64).

The potential support ratio is 27.1. This is the number of working-age people (ages 15-64) per one elderly person (ages 65+). As a population ages, the potential support ratio tends to fall, meaning there are fewer potential workers to support the elderly.

   Back to the top

We have no figures for this section.

Western Sahara releases 0.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by burning fossil fuels in the process of producing and consuming energy. This puts it as the 53rd highest in Africa.

   Back to the top

We have no figures for this section.

We have no figures for the people aged between 16 and 24 who are not in work.

The total number of people available for work in Western Sahara is 144,000 people.

They work in the following sectors.

• Agriculture includes farming, fishing and forestry work
• Industry includes mining, manufacturing, construction and energy workers
• Services is everything else

We have no figures for the percentage of the workforce who unemployed.

   Back to the top

There are 3 paved airports in Western Sahara, which is the 43rd highest number in Africa.


There are 5 kilometres of railways in Western Sahara, the 38th longest in Africa.


There are 800 kilometres of roads in Western Sahara, which means Western Sahara is in 52nd place for the most kilometres of roads in Africa.

We have no figures for the number of major national newspapers in Western Sahara.

We have no figures for the number of mobile phone users.

We have no figures for the number of people who have a fixed landline.



We have no figures for the number of people who have access to the internet at home via any device (computer or mobile).

   Back to the top